'Moon' rakes in $140M for the No. 1 spot.

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" shone this weekend, taking in an amazing $140.7 million in its first weekend for the No. 1 spot at the U.S. box office.

It was the third-highest gross weekend box office take in U.S. history, behind "The Dark Knight" and "Spider-Man 3."

"The Blind Side" was second with $34.51 million, usually good enough for first place.

In a distant but still healthy third was "2012," with $26.5 million.

All box office estimates are from Box Office Mojo.

"Planet 51" was fourth with $12.6 million; "A Christmas Carol (2009)" fifth with $12.23 million; "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" sixth with more than $11 million; "The Men Who Stare at Goats" seventh with more than $2.77 million; "Couples Retreat" eighth with more than $1.95 million; "The Fourth Kind" was ninth with $1.73 million.

"Law Abiding Citizen" was 10th with more than $1.61 million.